Scripps Research scientists reveal how first cells could have formed on Earth
Veena Kollery, PhD; Ashok Deniz, PhD; and Sunil Pulletikurti, PhD. Credit: Scripps Research New phospholipid discovery brings researchers closer to understanding how primordial cells emerged during origin of life. LA JOLLA, CA — Roughly 4 billion years ago, Earth was developing conditions suitable for life. Origin-of-life scientists often wonder if the type of chemistry found on the early Earth was similar to what life requires today. They know that spherical collections of fats, called protocells, were